Awesome views in Oslo that cost nothing (or almost)

Forget overpriced sky bars and rooftop restaurants. These five viewpoints in Oslo can be visited on a minimal budget – just to the cost of public transport with one exception and that one is still really low cost.

Ekeberg park

This beautiful large park stretches to the south east from the city centre, not too far from the Barcode project. Easily reached by bus or tram, Ekeberg park boasts seemingly random artwork and sculptures, a restaurant and several viewpoints with views over the city centre and islets in the fjord. It might get crowded with families and tourists on a nice day but it’s still very worth a visit.

Holmenkollen

Also known as the place where almost all tourists go when in Oslo. It’s still a nice ride though, especially if you’re a sports fan as it’s where the famous ski jump is located. If you want to have more fun apart from admiring the obligatory ski jump, look for trolls hidden in the woods. They are great posers for Instagram selfies 😉

Frognerseteren

Also known as the place where very little tourists go, because masses haven’t discovered this gorgeous place yet. If you want to up your travel game, head to Frognerseteren after visiting Holmenkollen, or just skip the crowded Holmenkollen altogether and aim higher, quite literally. Stay on the metro line that goes to the ski jump and let it take you to the top of the hill. Get off at the Frognerseteren station, continue farther according to the directions on the signs around and voila! You’ll come to a restaurant overlooking Oslo where you can have a break with a nice bite or just enjoy panoramic views.

Kragstotten Sculpture & Viewpoint

Only a short detour from Frognerseteren, coming to this place can be quite confusing if you don’t know exactly where to go. We managed to discover Kragstotten viewpoint only on the second try, after consulting several local websites and quite a lot of frustrated looks into Google Street View. You’ll have it much easier if you get off at Voksenkollen and follow the road according to the screenshots below.

One word of caution, though: there’s no sidewalk on the road to the statue so be careful with the cars around if you’re coming by foot from Voksenkollen, the nearest metro stop.

If you venture from the statue further down into the woods, you should find a hiking path to the Holmenkollen park. Or if you head to the north, you can come up near Frognerseteren.

And why you should bother looking for this place instead of coming straight to Holmenkollen, you may ask? Well, not many people know about it (compared to Holmenkollen) which means undisturbed time when you can take pictures or just enjoy a quiet moment in a beautiful place. Which is more and more rare, unfortunately.

This is also why Kragstotten was my most favourite viewpoint in Oslo even after all the hassle with finding it.

Tjuvitten (The Sneak Peak)

If you’re not really into nature and more of a city type, this option is for you. Towering at the end of Aker Brygge in the immediate proximity of downtown, Tjuvitten, or The Sneak Peak, is a glass elevator that takes you 90 metres up above ground to offer panoramic views over Norway’s capital. The admission is 20 NOK (£1.60 or $2.30) so it’s really a nice budget option to get the grasp of the city and fjord.